Becton Dickinson Announces National Agreement With Kaiser Permanente.FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J.--(BW HealthWire)--June 16, 1999-- Joint Clinical Study and New Product Development Will Advance Health Care Worker and Patient Safety Program Meets or Exceeds Requirements of Groundbreaking California Legislation and Anticipates National Legislation Pending in Congress Becton Dickinson BD (NYSE: BDX), is a medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs 27,000 people in nearly 50 countries. and Company (BD) (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : BDX BDX Bordeaux (France) BDX Becton-Dickinson and Company (stock symbol) BDX Business Document Exchange BDX Burst Detector X BDX Beacon Data Extractor ) have announced a unique national program with Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. to expand the use of safety-engineered "sharps" devices in Kaiser Permanente facilities to protect health care workers against accidental injury and infection. The agreement also establishes a joint clinical study and new product development program to provide continuing advances in the protection of health care workers and their patients. Safety-engineered devices are designed to help prevent accidental skin puncture and infection with bloodborne diseases like HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. , hepatitis B Hepatitis B Definition Hepatitis B is a potentially serious form of liver inflammation due to infection by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It occurs in both rapidly developing (acute) and long-lasting (chronic) forms, and is one of the most common chronic and hepatitis C Hepatitis C Definition Hepatitis C is a form of liver inflammation that causes primarily a long-lasting (chronic) disease. Acute (newly developed) hepatitis C is rarely observed as the early disease is generally quite mild. . BD pioneered their development over ten years ago, and today provides the most extensive line of safety-engineered products and services. Kaiser Permanente, the largest non-profit HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, in the U.S., serving nine million members in 17 states, was early to adopt the use of safety-engineered devices in its health care facilities. In the first agreement of its kind, these two leaders in the industry are joining forces to improve the health care environment for medical professionals, other workers and the patients who will benefit from lower risk of infection. Under the terms of the $30 million, three-year agreement, Kaiser Permanente facilities nationwide will be able to purchase BD safety-engineered medical devices, including I.V. catheters, blood collection devices, lancets and syringes. BD will provide Kaiser Permanente with extensive product education and training to support the conversion from conventional, needle-based devices to the new products. BD and Kaiser Permanente will also conduct what is believed to be the largest clinical study of safety-engineered device effectiveness ever undertaken and will establish a joint technology development program to improve existing products and develop new devices. The geographic and clinical scope of Kaiser Permanente's operations and the breadth of BD's safety-engineered product offering will provide a "real time laboratory" where clinicians and product developers can work together in a variety of clinical settings to design sensible new solutions to needle safety. "The agreement also establishes a joint clinical study and new product development program to provide continuing advances in the protection of health care workers and patients," said Enid Eck, RN, MPH, Senior Consultant HIV and Infectious Disease Infectious disease A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions. , Kaiser Permanente. "Following extensive product evaluations, several BD products, designed to protect health care workers against accidental injury and infection, were selected for inclusion in Kaiser's extensive Sharps Safety Program." "This agreement between Kaiser Permanente and BD sets a standard for health care worker protection and patient care that we hope to see repeated around the country," said Melanie O'Neill, VP/GM of BD Advanced Protection Technologies. "This kind of high-level, broad-based agreement that emphasizes collaboration -not just products- will serve as a model for how our nation can convert health care facilities rapidly and cost-effectively while maintaining superior patient care. Awareness of the problem is growing and this is a solution that works for the industry, for health care workers and for patients." Last year, California passed groundbreaking legislation that requires all California health care facilities to provide their health care workers with safety-engineered devices by July 1, 1999. With this agreement in place, Kaiser Permanente facilities in California will meet or exceed the requirements of this new legislation well before the stipulated deadline. This year, Tennessee and Maryland passed their own needlestick prevention laws, and similar legislation is being considered in 20 other states. The Kaiser Permanente-BD contract also anticipates national legislation pending in Washington. Congressional Representatives Peter Stark (D, California) and Marge Roukema Margaret Scafati "Marge" Roukema (born September 19, 1929 in Newark, New Jersey) represented New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty-two years as a Republican. (R, New Jersey) have co-sponsored the "Health Care Worker Needlestick Prevention Act of 1999," and similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate. OSHA OSHA n. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a branch of the US Department of Labor responsible for establishing and enforcing safety and health standards in the workplace. also has announced its intention to amend its bloodborne pathogens standard by placing needlestick and sharps injuries on its regulatory agenda this fall. Kaiser Permanente is America's leading non-profit health care organization. Founded in 1945, it is a group-practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, California “Oakland” redirects here. For other uses, see Oakland (disambiguation). Oakland (IPA: /ˈoʊklənd/), founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. . Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 8.6 million members in 17 states and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). . It encompasses Kaiser Foundation The mission of the Kaiser Foundation is to assist individuals and communities in preventing and reducing the harm associated with problem substance use and addictive behaviours. External links
BD established the Advanced Protection Technologies group to coordinate the development, production and marketing of all the Company's products with safety-engineered features. BD manufactures and sells a broad range of medical supplies, devices and diagnostic systems for use by health care professionals, medical research institutions and the general public. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. (as defined under Federal securities laws) regarding Becton Dickinson and Company's performance, including future revenues, products and income, which are based upon current expectations of the company and involve a number of business risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from anticipated results described in any forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, competitive factors, changes in regional, national or foreign currency exchange rates, delays in product introductions, year 2000 issues and changes in health care or other government regulations, as well as other factors discussed herein and in Becton Dickinson's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Note: TV/radio reporters/producers: video and audio soundbites and video B-Roll are available. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion